The Best Laid Plans
by Attenia
Summary: Even the best laid plans go awry. And when Morgana helps Arthur plan how he is going to reveal his feelings to Merlin, things don't go as planned. Not at all. Oneshot. Merthur. Happy ending.


Arthur approaches the day with an expression appropriate for a commander throwing himself and his army into an impossible battle to the death.

In the last week, he's shouted at Morgana so much that he's nearly lost his voice. The servants tremble whenever they see him heading to her rooms now. But being Morgana, she got her way eventually. Arthur had tried to sit on his feelings – he did it for years, sure that Merlin couldn't possibly feel the same – and intended to keep doing so indefinitely in order to preserve their friendship.

It was a good plan. Unfortunately, even the best laid plans are not immune from Morgana and her deceptively sweet sidekick Gwen. Arthur should have known she'd guess his feelings. However, there was no way he could have known that once she did, she wouldn't leave him alone, telling him to make a move, to tell Merlin how he feels.

Eventually, Arthur gives up arguing with her. She's going to get her own way eventually – best to get this over and done with now, then focus on trying to salvage what's left of his friendship with Merlin. Arthur closes his eyes, trying not to see Merlin in his mind's eye, jerking away with a horrified expression, Merlin leaving Camelot, Merlin not wanting to see him ever again…

Arthur takes a deep breath. He has faced down dragons and sorcerers. He can do this.

Cursing Morgana, he half wishes a dragon would attack Camelot now and save him from Morgana's insane plan. Unfortunately, no such thing happens, so he drags his feet as he gets ready.

"Rise and shine!" Merlin calls, flouncing into the room. He stops short when he sees Arthur already up.

"You're up," Merlin says unnecessarily.

"Yes, Merlin," Arthur says dryly. "If I had to wait for you to wake me up every day, I'd never be in time for another council meeting."

"And you're saying that's something that makes you unhappy?" Merlin asks slyly. "I had no idea you were so devoted to your meetings, Arthur. I'm sure we can arrange to have them more oft – "

"No," Arthur snaps, "not unless you want me to die or boredom and be executed for killing the king." Despite his words, his heart lightens with their familiar bantering. He wonders if this is the last time he'll ever talk to Merlin like this…

_Shut up!_ he yells at the voice in his head.

"Merlin, we're going for a – for a hunt," Arthur says. Merlin's grimace is expected. Arthur wanted to tell him the truth – that they were going on a picnic – but Morgana insisted that it should be a surprise. Damn Morgana.

Merlin comes up behind Arthur, helping him finish dressing, humming absently. "You nervous you're going to get gored by a boar?" he asks lightly. "You're sweating buckets. Don't worry, I'll protect you."

The ridiculous comment makes Arthur laugh. "Yes, I'm sure you will. What with all the noise you make, the boar would be too afraid to get near us."

Merlin rolls his eyes, but doesn't comment.

Far too soon, they are riding into the forest along the path Morgana had dictated beforehand. She and Gwen should be done setting up the picnic by now. Arthur secretly hopes that Morgana fell down the stairs on her way to breakfast and broke her leg – not that that would stop her, actually – but is out of luck.

Merlin straightens in surprise when he sees the picnic all laid out. "What's this?" he asks.

Arthur opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. He tries again. "Food. Hungry?" They hadn't had breakfast before leaving.

"Um, yes, but…"

"Come on," Arthur says briskly. Merlin looks confused, but he isn't going to miss out on breakfast with Arthur. The two of them eat in silence, Merlin sensing Arthur's tension.

_Say it,_ Arthur tells himself firmly. _Just say it._ He opens his mouth, but he has no idea where to start. How do you tell your best friend you have been in love with them for years? How do you shatter that perfect peace and ease between you with just a few stupid words?

Arthur tries to get the words out, he really does… but it's like his throat has closed. He can't lose Merlin's friendship. Even if Merlin isn't disgusted and leaves him, it'll create tension and strain between them… they'll never be the same.

Arthur thinks of all the dire threats Morgana made, of what she will do to him if she doesn't go through with it. Put makeup on him while he sleeps. Steal all his clothes and replace them with dresses. Put pink dye in his shampoo. Send love notes from him to all the maids in Camelot. The list goes on and on. He doesn't doubt for a second that she will follow through with her threats.

He takes a deep breath. "Merlin,"

Before he can say another word, a giant fireball comes zooming towards them out of nowhere.

"Get down!" he yells, grabbing for Merlin, trying to pull him out of the way, even though it seems futile – the fireball is too big to escape from in time.

Merlin, the idiot, jumps up. Arthur tries to pull him back down, but the words die in his mouth. Merlin is lifting his hands, as though he can push the fireball away. Arthur tries to close his eyes, but it's like they are glued open. The fireball reaches Merlin… and explodes against some invisible barrier.

Before Arthur can do more than gasp in shock, Merlin is shouting strange words, and a flash of light streaks in the direction the fireball came from. Arthur sees someone – no doubt a vengeful sorcerer intent on killing the king – crumple to the ground. That is the least of his worries, though. Merlin is turning to face him, his face white and terrified.

"MERLIN!" Arthur yells. "WHAT WAS THAT?"

"I – I'm – " Merlin stammers.

"A SORCERER? YES, I HAD THAT WORKED OUT FOR MYSELF!"

Merlin is trembling and he closes his eyes, as though expecting Arthur to strike him down at any second.

"Don't just stand there like an idiot!" Arthur yells, hurt and rage still roaring though him. "Come here and explain. Right now!"

Merlin scuttles to the picnic blanket and Arthur jerks him down. "Explain," Arthur repeats with a dangerous glare.

So Merlin explains. He tells Arthur everything – from how he was born with magic, to why he came to Camelot, to how he uses it to protect Arthur. "I wanted to tell you, I swear, Arthur," Merlin babbles, tears brimming in his eyes. "I just – well, first it was your father, then you were king – I knew you wouldn't' kill me, of course, but I couldn't' – I couldn't bear to have you hate me," he finishes in a small voice.

Arthur is still breathing hard, but he is struggling to keep tears from his own eyes. To hear everything Merlin has sacrificed for him… he can see how lying for years was cutting his friend up inside, and it's all Arthur's fault. Yet Merlin's loyalty has never wavered.

He takes a deep breath. "We'll… we'll have to talk to Gaius. Some changes will have to be made. I can't very well keep up the laws against sorcery when my own manservant is a sorcerer." He shoots Merlin a resentful glare.

"Wait… what?" Merlin asks. "You're… you're not banishing me? Or at least sacking me?"

Arthur raises his eyebrows. "Do you _want_ to be banished or sacked?"

"Um, no. But I thought… I thought you'd never forgive me."

"I'm still mad," Arthur warns. "It'll take time to get used to this. But of course I'll forgive you. I'd forgive you anything."

"Why?"

Arthur opens his mouth, the words on the tip of his tongue. _Because I love you. Because I can't live without you. Because the world is a lonely, dull place without you._ But he takes in Merlin's white, shaky, dishevelled appearance. He has the feeling that if he springs any shocking news on him now, Merlin will either bolt or collapse. He sighs. "We should get back to the castle. You can have the rest of the day off."

Merlin's eyes widen, but he doesn't question. In truth, Arthur doesn't want him to witness Morgana's revenge. And it's bad. Arthur swears she has spies watching the gates. When they don't see him and Merlin hand in hand and singing love songs, they hurry off and report to her.

He makes sure to lose Merlin quickly, so that when he faces Morgana, there will be no collateral damage. Her face could scare a thunderstorm away. She sweeps off towards her chambers, expecting him to follow.

She closes the door behind him and points imperiously at a chair. "Explain."

With a lot of stuttering and stammering, Arthur manages to get the story out. To his great shock, Morgana doesn't seem at all surprised about Merlin's magic.

"Well, I suppose he had to tell you sometime…"

"Wait, you _knew?_"

"But really, Arthur, what were you thinking?" she continues as though he hadn't spoken. "You missed the perfect opportunity."

"I couldn't!" Arthur protests. "He was already in shock, Morgana, how do you think another one would have felt right then?"

She grimaces, but backs down. "Fine, but you have to tell him tomorrow, then."

Arthur quickly leaves her chambers before she changes her mind, considering himself to have gotten off lightly.

Of course, Morgana and Gwen ambush him later to plan the next attempt, but he manages to check on Merlin, who seems fine, though still shaken. Arthur gives him a warm smile, trying to tell him without words that everything will be ok.

Arthur hardly sleeps that night, not least because Morgana and Gwen are constantly coming in and out of his room – honestly, do the two of them not need sleep? – getting everything ready. In the morning, Arthur pulls open the curtains to shed light on the horror they girls have inflicted on him today.

Flowers. Lots of flowers. They seem to cover every surface. Worst of all, on the table, instead of breakfast, Merlin's name is arranged in red rose petals. Arthur waits for Merlin to arrive, trying not to imagine the scene that's about to take place.

"Rise and – oh." Merlin stops short in the doorway.

"Um, bad time?" he asks, looking around as though he expects to see someone else in the room.

"No, please, come in," Arthur says, trying very hard to hide the tremble in his voice.

Merlin takes two steps into the room before sneezing violently. He sneezes twice more and backs out of the room. "I think I'm allergic to some of the flowers you have in here," Merlin says. "I'd better leave until whoever they're for has seen them. I'll – I'll be polishing your armour."

Without another word, Merlin turns abruptly and leaves, never getting close enough to the table to see the rose petals.

Arthur is left standing alone in the room of flowers, not sure whether to be upset or relieved. Relief finally wins him over when he realises Morgana can't blame him for this – she and Gwen were hiding in the corridor and saw the whole thing. They are about to drag him off to Morgana's chambers to develop a new plan of action when Arthur hears shouting from the courtyard.

_Please, please let it be an attacking dragon,_ he thinks silently as he rushes down. It isn't a dragon, but it's definitely some kind of magical creature – a flying one with huge claws and teeth that are dripping something that looks like acid.

And of course, Merlin is facing it down. Arthur doesn't think he's ever run so fast in his life. All he can think is he has to get to Merlin before the idiot gets himself killed. He's screaming Merlin's name, more afraid than he can ever remember being in his life.

Merlin casts some kind of spell at the creature, and it staggers, apparently badly hurt, but its vicious tail whips around, spikes headed straight for Merlin, who doesn't see them.

"MERLIN!" Arthur makes a running leap and takes Merlin down, the spikes passing harmlessly over their heads. Arthur can hear his knights rushing to subdue the beast, which seems like a relatively easy job after what Merlin did to it, but Arthur has eyes only for his manservant. Merlin's eyes are wide and his face is flushed and in that moment, Arthur feels relief so great just to see him alive that he feels like his heart will burst.

In the end, it wasn't Morgana's carefully laid plans, but Merlin being Merlin – stupid, brave Merlin – that broke through the barriers Arthur has been keeping up for so long. For the first time in a long time, he completely lets himself go.

"I love you," he says. Then he presses his lips to Merlin's.

Merlin makes a little sound between a gasp and a sob as his hands come up to grab Arthur's neck. Merlin's mouth opens and he yanks at Arthur, greedily, trying to pull him even closer. Taken off guard by the ardent response, Arthur is lost in the kiss. Merlin is hard underneath him and nothing exists except Merlin's body, and nothing matters except Merlin's lips, and getting that stupid neck tie off…

Unfortunately, the moment doesn't last. The cries of the beast fade away, and a hand taps Arthur on the shoulder. He tries to shrug it off, wanting only Merlin, but Leon pulls at him more forcefully, forcing him to listen.

"Sire, perhaps this is not the place…" He says softly, glancing around. Arthur sees that the knights of Camelot are gathered loosely around the courtyard, all trying very hard to look like they have not just seen the king making out with his manservant.

"Oh – yes, well, we'll just go – well done with the creature… stunning takedown…" Arthur babbles as he grabs Merlin's arm and pulls him up. Merlin's face is bright red and he is trying very hard not to look at anyone.

They hurry away from the curious gazes of the nights and into the castle. Arthur makes a beeline for his bed chamber, but Merlin is suddenly pulling him to the right… into a broom cupboard.

"Merlin, what – "

Merlin puts his hand over Arthur's mouth. "I love you, you prat," he says. Arthur doesn't have a chance to say anything, because them Merlin's lips are covering his again and he is gone.

Merlin's hands trail down his back and tug at the hem of his tunic. Arthur lifts his arms and allows Merlin to pull it off, trying to accomplish the feat without stopping kissing him. Merlin gives a soft moan as his fingers splay over Arthur's chest.

"We should go to my chambers…" Arthur says weakly.

"Can't wait that long," Merlin mutters, and then he is licking Arthur's nipple and Arthur is falling against the side of the cupboard, leaning heavily on it for support. As Merlin moves further down, Arthur's head rolls from side to side and he groans Merlin's name. Merlin is undoing his breeches and Arthur thinks his knees will collapse when Merlin's thin, long fingers brush against his cock.

His hands tangle themselves in Merlin's hair and give a sharp tug as he feels Merlin's _tongue_ licking along the length of his erection, and Arthur doesn't know if he can hold on. He yanks Merlin back up and scrabbles to untie his breeches, but his coordination seems to have abandoned him completely. Merlin groans in frustration as Arthur's hands brush against the bulge of his erectionthrough the thin fabric.

Merlin mutters something that sounds like a swear word, but his eyes glow gold and the breeches fall to the floor. Arthur seizes his cock and Merlin bucks up into his grip, making a sound that nearly has Arthur coming without even being touched. Arthur gets both his and Merlin's cocks in a good grip and starts to pull on them.

"Arthur – ungh – " Merlin almost falls forward and starts kissing Arthur again, fast and sloppy and desperate. Arthur's movements become jerky as he battles for control, but then Merlin makes one of those little moans again and Arthur is tipping over the edge.

A strangled yell comes out of him as he jerks towards Merlin, pressing their bodies together, making them feel like more one person than two. He feels Merlin shudder a moment later and he is coming too, his nails digging into Arthur's back in a way that Arthur knows will leave marks, but he doesn't care.

His eyes roll as he shudders and writhes through his climax, every pore on his body on fire. In all his life, Arthur had never known that such bliss even existed, and now it's taking over every cell in his body, every part of him straining towards Merlin as the delicious pleasure wreaks havoc in his body.

His knees finally do buckle. Merlin collapses on top of him and he thinks they both may have passed out for a second, but only a second, because the next thing Arthur knows, he and Merlin are lying entangled together, a sticky, floppy mess. He tries to turn his head so that he can kiss Merlin, but the angle is all wrong, and Merlin is lying on his shins, so Arthur can't move without displacing him.

He settles for kissing Merlin's shoulder. "I love you," he murmurs again.

"Idiot," Merlin says, though there is a fond note in his voice. "You should have told me…"

Arthur doesn't respond, because just then, the cupboard door opens. He and Merlin try to scramble into more decent positions – though really, decency at this point really isn't possible – but they are both still too weak and dazed to move properly.

Morgana raises her eyebrows so high Gaius would be proud, before turning away.

"It took you long enough!" she calls over her shoulder, grinning, kicking the cupboard door behind her.

Arthur groans, falling back against Merlin's arm. "She'll never let me hear the end of it. As soon as we're out of this broom cupboard, I'm not going to hear any other words than 'I told you so' until I'm an old man."

"Then let's stay here," Merlin says, his head laying on Arthur's chest.

Arthur strokes Merlin's dishevelled hair, smiling absently. "Ok."

The End


End file.
